


A Tribute to Our Teenage Years

by CeleryLapel



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Gen, Humor, Post-Canon, Post-S6, kinda Jeff x Annie but i didn't want to tag as they aren't the focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 15:03:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14215728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeleryLapel/pseuds/CeleryLapel
Summary: He used to be quite the man on campus and had his pick of coeds to romance, or as he put it, dazzle and dump. He would strut down the halls, wearing his designer shades and high five his numerous friends. He would go home and carefully condition, using a wide toothed comb to detangle before things became too unruly. And then there was the mousse…The Dean laments his lost youth





	A Tribute to Our Teenage Years

**Author's Note:**

> In response to randomramblesff tumblr prompt for a made up fic title. It kind of got away from me and ended up becoming a fic? Anyway, just thought I'd post it here. :)

The Dean is staring down at a page in a book while softly sobbing when Frankie enters his office and makes her way over to him. She furrows her brow as she clasps his outstretched hand and takes in what is on the desk. It’s a Greendale yearbook, and a picture of Jeff and Annie in their freshman year debate sweaters is prominently displayed. There’s a huge red X over Annie’s face and a heart around Jeff’s. Frankie instantly becomes annoyed and scolds the Dean for continuing to be so petty.

They briefly, through conversation, fill the reader in on how a few months ago the Dean reacted to the news of Jeff deciding to stay permanently in Denver and not renewing his teaching contract for next year. He and Annie also announced their engagement. The Dean had been composed and even joyful for them, perhaps a little too cheerily remarking on how he would miss Jeffrey so much but of course he understood and was thrilled for them. But then today they shared Annie was pregnant and the Dean lost it, screaming that there was no way Jeffrey would return to him now. He holed himself under the study room table for a good half hour before being coaxed out by Jeff and then apologizing profusely to Annie. They had all then hugged and seemingly made up, the Dean promising to have them well-stocked in Greendale baby gear. Jeff had rolled his eyes at this, but at Annie’s urging had then nodded and mumbled his thanks.

After recapping these events, the Dean looks up at Frankie and clarifies that he had made the red markings in the yearbook years ago and that he had been sniffling with remorse over having been so mean. He then divulges that he doesn’t have good self-esteem. Frankie softens at this admission and as she pats his shoulder to comfort him, she spies something under the yearbook and pulls it out. The Dean frantically tries to stop her.

She discovers it is the Dean’s very own college (Greendale) yearbook. The page is open to a series of photos, and her eyes travel to Craig Pelton. She is stunned to see a photo of a nerdily pale creature with beady eyes (no glasses) and a shockingly robust head of hair. She remarks on it, and the Dean then resumes sobbing. Frankie snaps into crisis mode and pulls up a chair. She claps the Dean’s hands and gives him an earnest look. Through sniffs, he confides that part of his attraction to Jeffrey had been the hair, as he had always lamented the loss of his own lustrous mane and thought by affiliating himself with Jeffrey, he could regain some of his swagger. Frankie asks him in a whisper when the sad little man had lost his hair, and the Dean whispers back the tender age of nineteen.

The Dean then explains in a hushed tone that he used to be quite the man on campus and had his pick of coeds to romance, or as he put it, dazzle and dump. He would strut down the halls, wearing his designer shades and high five his numerous friends. He would go home and carefully condition, using a wide toothed comb to detangle before things became too unruly. And then there was the mousse…

Frankie interrupts him and asks him what happened at nineteen.

He blinks and then with a hint of a whine replies that he simply awoke one morning to find this hair had fallen out on his pillow. As Frankie gasps, he adds that he couldn’t fathom what had happened. It couldn’t have had anything to do with the neon green gelatin in the Greendale cafeteria that none of his friends had remembered seeing. It had been delicious but had an odd metallic taste. Following his bald revelation, his popularity had plummeted, and he had become an insecure mess.

He shakes his head and waves the air before hunching his shoulders and letting out a heavy sigh. He mumbles, “That’s why I so wanted Jeffrey inside of me.”

“Craig,” Frankie snaps before reminding him yet again that was inappropriate.

The Dean clarifies he was referring to the body swap episode which he acknowledges was before her time, and Frankie merely stares at him with a blank look. He drones on for a little bit about once again strutting down the hall, having Annie fawn all over him. He adds not that he cares about attracting Annie, but it had felt good to be so cool once again.

Frankie finally says she’s had enough and knows this kind of self-pity and fixation on Jeff Winger being his salvation is not healthy for the Dean. She makes him stand wipe his nose. She then has him run cold water over his face and escorts him to the mall where she precedes to indulge him in shopping for a new outfit, including a nice pair of sunglasses to pop over his glasses.

The Dean, now feeling much better, pulls Frankie into a karaoke booth and uploads their duet to YouTube. He tags the Greendale Seven. Pierce had faked his death, and everyone knew it.

 

 

 


End file.
